Refrigerating apparatus



Aug. 26, 1941.

J. W. JACOBS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 12, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOIL c7275: C/JCOJS ,ZQMMM ll/J ATTORNEYS.

Aug? J. w. JACOBS REFR IGERAT ING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 12, 1939 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 1/5074: MJ1

Ill-S ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 26, 1941. J. w. JACOBS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS I 4 sheets-sheet 4Filed Jan. 12, 1939 INVENTOR. zfmvz: Mzhcaes,

ll/S ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS James W. Jacobs, Dayton,Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Delaware Application January 12, 1939, Serial No. 250,583Claims. (01. 62-1085) I My invention relates to freezing devices andparticularly to grids for use in trays employed in householdrefrigerators.

A general object of my invention is to provide an improved gridstructure for disposition in an ice tray and a novel method of. removingice blocks fromvthe grid structure without applying artificial heatthereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved grid structurehaving a plurality of rigid substantially aligned metal walls movablyconnected together with rigid transverse walls interlocked therebetweenfor dividing the interior of an ice tray into rows of ice blockcompartments and which substantially aligned walls are movable abouttheir connection to cause bowing of the grid structure, for breaking abond between ice blocks and their compartment walls, and movement of thetransverse walls relative to one another and to the substantiallyaligned grid walls for enlarging the ice block compartments andliberating the released ice blocks therefrom.

Another object of my invention is to provide a the freezing device takenunitary rigid walled grid structure with an energy storage means whichis held by a mechanism in an ineffective position while the grid wallsare in a normal ice block forming position and which mechanism ismovable to release said means and render same efiective to cause theenergy stored therein to be applied to the structure for moving itswalls and forcing the V structure into a bowed or flexed position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a grid structure of thetype described in the preceding objects with a mechanism for releasingthe energy storage means to permit same to apply its force to walls ofthe structure to cause flexing or bowing of the grid, which mechanism isso constructed and arranged that it can be employed to cause flexing orbowing of the grid should the energy storage means incorporated in thestructure become-ineffective or broken.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a more specific object of myinvention to construct the releasing means or mechanism of the energystorage means in a grid structure of the type described in such mannerthat it willyhave a double purpose in that it will break the bondbetween ice blocks in the grid structure and the tray walls prior toreleasing the energy storage means.

Still further and more specific objects and advantages reside in thesimplicity of construction and operation of my improved grid structureand in novel combinations and arrangements of parts thereof to provide adurable structure of low manufacturing costs as will more fully appearin the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa top plan view of an improved freezing device ha mg a gridstructure constructed according to my invention disposed in the traythereof;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the tray taken onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the grid of the device in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2 showing the connection between certain walls of the gridstructure;

.Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2 and showing the connection between certain operating parts of thegrid structure;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating ice blocks within thedevice and showing the grid structure and ice bonded thereto elevatedrelative to the tray of the device;

Fig. 6 shows the grid structure removed from the ,tray with certainwalls of the grid moved relative to other walls thereof to illustratethe start of bowing or flexing or the grid;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 additional walls of the grid movedrelative to other walls thereof in grid structure; and

Fig. 8 shows all the walls of the grid structure moved relative to oneanother and illustrates the grid in its fully bowed position with iceblocks released therefrom.

The improved freezing device of the present invention comprises ametallic grid structure 10 removably disposed in a metal tray I I. Thetray II has side walls i2 (see Figs. 3 and 4), a bottom wall l3 andopposed end walls l4 and I5. The tray side walls l2 may be convergedoutwardly toward the top of the tray and the rear end wall I4 isconverged outwardly toward the top of the tray at a greater angle thanthe side walls to facilitate removal of a mass of ice from the tray. Thewalls I2, H and [5 of tray II have their, upper edge rolled or bent overto form a rim it which extends continuously around the top of the tray.A portion of the metal of tray H isextended downwardly from rim It, asat H, at the front end thereof and provides a mounting for a heavy metalpiece l8 which has a handle l9 pivotally secured thereto as at 2|. Thehandle ice bond between the illustrating the process of bowing the trayand its support, upon manipulation ,of the handle, to facilitate removalof the freezing device from an evaporator or the like of a refrigeratingsystem.

The grid structure, generally represented by the reference character l0,disposed within tray II of the freezing device divides the interior ofthe tray into longitudinal rows of open-top cells or compartments 25.The grid structure H) includes a vertically disposed longitudinalpartition consisting of a plurality of rigid metal walls 26 and aplurality of rigid metal cross or transverse walls 21. Walls 26 have anintegral ear portion 28 extending therefrom and the walls 21 are eachprovided with an opening 29 (see Fig. 3) which receives the ear portion28. A wall 21 is assembled against a wall 26 in transverse relationthereto by inserting the ear portion 26 of wall 26 into the opening 29of wall 21 and another wall 26 is then movably secured to the first wall26, the wall 21 interlocked therebetween, by a-rivet, pin or the like 3|which passes through a small hole provided in the other wall 26 and ahole provided in the ear portion 28 of the first wall 26. Thisassembling operation is repeated until a longitudinal partition or gridconstruction of any desired length has been formed. It will be notedthat the edge portions of walls 26 of the longitudinal partition,between which the transverse walls 21 are interlocked, are inclined asat 32 so as to engage the face surfaces of walls 21 I and normallymaintain these transverse walls 21 at an acute angled dispositionrelative to the vertical disposition of walls 26 or relative to thebottom of tray II. This normal acute angled disposition of walls 21provides the ice block compartments 25 with a parallelogram form in onedirection of cross section therethrough. The inclined edges 32 of walls26 of the longitudinal partition correspond or are parallel with oneanother from the point of connection between the walls 26 to the bottomsthereof. However, the continuation of the edges 32 on the one end ofwalls 26, from the point of connection of walls 26 together upwardly totheir top edges, is vertical as shown at 33 and, on their other endsfrom the ear portion 28 thereof to their top edges are cut at a greaterinclination'relative to the edge 32 as shown at 34. The end wallportions 33 and 34 r of walls 26 provide a slot or clearance area sothat the walls 26 may be moved relative to one another about theirpivotalconnecting pins 3| to provide for bowing or flexing of the gridlongitudinal partition. The top surface of a wall 26 at the one end ofthe grid structure I is provided with a raised portion 36 having a holetherein which receives a rivet or pin 31 extending through an invertedU-shaped bar member 38 to pivotally secure the bar 38 to the gridstructure. The top surface of a wall 26 at the other end of the grid I0is provided with a raised portion 39 having a hole therein whichreceives a rivet or pin 4| extending through a lever or releasing arm 42to pivotally secure the lever or arm 42 to the grid structure. Members38 and 42 are thus pivotally secured to the grid structure to provide amechanism which has a function to be hereinafter more fully described.Lever or arm 42 is shaped to straddle the raised portion 38 of the endwall 26 and the bar or member 38 and leg portions 43 formed thereon eachhave a rivet or pin 44 extended therethrough and which rivets or pinspass through leg portions 45 at the free pins 44 pivotally connect thearm-42 to the bar member 38. It will be noted that the rivets or pins 31and 4| are in substantially the same horizontal alignment with oneanother and that the rivets or pins 44 are disposed slightly below theplane of alignment of rivets or pins 31 and- 4| for a purpose to behereinafter more fully explained. It will also be noted that the methodof movably securing the plurality of walls 26 and 21, the bar member 38and lever or arm 42 together and to one another forms a unitary gridstructure.

In order to provide the unitary grid structure III with an energystorage means to carry out the objects of the present invention incausing movement of the grid walls 26 and 21 relative to one another andbowing or flexing of the grid structure when the energy storage means isreleased, I place a spring 41 within the inverted U-shaped bar member38. I secure one end 46 of the spring 41 to the raised top edge portion36 of the one end wall 26 of the longitudinal partition and secure theother end 46 of spring 41 to the raised top edge portion 36 of the otherend wall 26 of the grid. Spring 41 may, if desired, be made of ametallic material which will contract at low temperatures to therebyincrease the power thereof or to increase the energy stored therein whensubjected to the freezing temperatures prevailing in an evaporator of arefrigerating system upon or into which the present freezing device isplaced. The spring 41 is stretched between the two ends of the grid tothereby store energy therein and normally lies between the two rivets orpins 31 and 4| and on. the same horizontal plane therewith. As long asthe rivets or pins 44 are in their normal lowered position relative endof bar member 36 (see Fig. 4). Thus, the

to rivets or pins 31 and 4| to maintain the bar member 38 in horizontalalignment with the spring 41, the energy stored in spring 41 isineffective to cause movement of the grid walls. Obviously, spring 41,which forms the energy storage means of the present disclosure, tends toat all times pull on the end walls of the grid structure, butwas long asthe releasing mechanism or bar member 36 is maintained in its normalposition or in a horizontal position parallel with spring 41 the bar 36together with lever or arm 42 forms a rigid connection between the endsof thegrid and prevents the force of spring 41 from bowing or flexingthe structure. Thus, it will be seen that when the rigid connectionbetween the ends of the'grid structure, formed by the mechanismincluding bar 38 and lever or arm 42 located in their; normal position,is moved or released the force of spring 41 is rendered effective topull on the ends of the grid and this force moves an end wall 26upwardly about its pivotal mounting 3|. This force is usually effectiveto move the end grid wall at a lever end because the releasing movementof lever 42 aids in moving this end wall first. However, the structureis constructed andarranged so that it is immaterial which end wall movesfirst so long as the walls are moved and the structure bowed. While Ihave disclosed a certain type of energy storage means it is within therealm of the present in.- vention to provide other forms of energystorage means coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Assume that water has been frozen in the freezing device in the form ofice blocks 50 in compartments 25, by the cooling effect produced by anvaporator of a refrigerating system, and

it is now desired to harvest these ice blocks. Handle IS on tray II ismoved outwardly and downwardly to cause the cams 22 to engage thefreezing device support in or on the evaporator, and force applied tothe handle thereby causes the cams to break the bond between thefreezing device and its support to permit removal of the device from theevaporator. After removal of the freezing device from the evaporator thelong end of the releasing arm or lever 42 is grasped by the hand andraised relative to the grid structure Hi. This initial raising of arm orlever 42 causes its short end to bear against the rim I6 of tray I l toelevate the grid structure In together with ice blocks bonded theretorelative to tray II as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It will be notedthat in this position of arm or lever 42 the pins 44 secured thereto andconnecting the end portion 45 of bar 38 have been elevated intohorizontal alignment with the pins 31 and 4|. In this position'of ,thereleasing mechanism the rigid connection between the ends of the grid Iis still maintained to thereby prevent the force of spring 41 fromacting upon the grid to bow same. Therefore, since the bond between theice blocks 50 in the grid and the tray walls has been broken the unitarygrid structure together with ice adhering thereto can now be readilyraised from the tray ll of the device. After raising grid l0 and iceadhering thereto out of the tray lever or arm 42 is then raised from theposition thereof shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings to its position shownin 'Fig. 6

to move the pins 44 above the center line of alignment of pins 31 and 4|to thereby destroy the rigid connection across the top of the structurebetween the ends of the grid. The rigid connection having been broken ordestroyed by movement of the releasing mechanism causes the spring 41 toexert its power or force stored therein upon the end members or walls 26of the grid. The force or power of spring 41 is of such intensity thatit initially causes movement of the end wall 26 about its pivotalmounting pin 3| relative to an adjacent wall 26. This movement of theend wall 26 of the longitudinal partition breaks the bond between theend ice blocks 50 and their confining walls as shown in jacent wall 26to thus cause the force of spring 41 to be transmitted to this nextadjacent wall 26 to move same in the same manner the first or end wallof the longitudinal partition was moved. Movement of the transversewalls 21 enlarges at least that portion of the ice compartments 25 belowthe pivot point of connection of walls '26 together to thereby permitthe released ice blocks 50 to freely fall from the.

to liberate all ice blocks 50 therefrom. While the spring 41 may possessample power to cause further bowing of the grid structure suchfursuccession, due to the force exerted thereto by the energy storagemeans or spring 41 when released, to thereby quickly bow or flex therigid walled grid for liberating ice blocks therefrom. The return of thereleasing arm or lever 42 to its position parallel with bar 38 will pushon this'bar to cause movement of all the grid walls 26 about their pivotpins 3| to thereby move the walls. 26 and 21 into their normal icefreezing'position and will also reestablish the rigid connection acrossthe top of the grid structure, formed by the releasing mechanism, tothereby reset the energy storage means or spring 41.

While the primary purpose of arm 42 is to :nov

the pins 44 above the center line of aiignmen of pins 31 and 4|, asshown in Fig. 6 of the drawings to release the spring 41, this am 42 isconstructed and arranged in the form of a lever so that it will haveinherent secondary purposes in the structure disclosed. For example, thelever or arm 42 serves to engage the tray II for elevating the grid l0and ice blocks 50 bonded thereto relative to the tray as previouslydescribed and as shown in Fig. 5 and may also serve, since it is in alever form rather than a mere releasing finger or the like, to movewalls of the grid to cause bowing or flexing of the structure should theenergy storage means or spring 41 become ineffective or broken. Inregard to this latter secondary purpose of lever arm 42 it will be notedthat the construction and arrangement of parts of the unitary gridstructure are such that, should the spring 41 be broken or becomeineffective for any reason, upon manual application of force to lever 42in an upward direction it will transmit this force through member 38 andpins 31, 4| and 44 to the end walls 26 of the grid to cause movement ofthe grid walls and bowing or flexing of the unitary grid structure. Thisfeature of the structure disclosed permits continued use of the freezingdevice should the energy storage means or spring 41 be broken, to thuseliminate. the automatic bowing or flexing of the structure l0, untilthe device can be repaired or replaced. From the foregoing, it will beseen that I have provided a freezing device having an improved gridstructure therein which is of low cost, strong and durable, capable ofbeing operated automatically, by virtue of the inclination in the gridstructure of anenergy storage means, to break the bond between its wallsand ice blocks adhering thereto and to bow the structure to enlarge theice block compartments and liberate the released ice blocks therefrom.By constructing the grid structure so that walls thereof are strength orforce to break a few walls at one time loose from ice blocks. Theimproved grid structure is of such novel construction that ice blocksareremoved therefrom without unduly shattering the blocks while at thesame time being constructed entirely of metal to thereby retain the fastfreezing characteristics of metal tray and grid combinations.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, .it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A grid structure for disposition in an ice tray and removabletherefrom as a unit comprising, a plurality of substantiallynon-flexible walls movably connected together to form rows of ice blockcompartments, energy storage means independent of and in addition tosaid grid walls, said means being carried by said grid structure andadapted to apply force to said grid walls to move same relative to oneanother and mechanism normally preventing the force of said energystorage means from moving said grid walls, said mechanism 'being movabletorelease said energy storage means and permit same to apply its forceto said grid walls and move the walls relative to one another, and saidconnection between said grid walls being so constructed and arrangedthat movement of the grid walls relative to one another by said meanscauses bowing of said grid structure.

2. A grid structure for disposition in an ice tray and removabletherefrom as a unit comprising, a plurality of substantiallynon-flexible walls movably connected together to provide a longitudinalpartition, a plurality of spaced apart walls associated with the wallsof said partition and extending transversely thereto to form rows of iceblock compartments on each side of said longitudinal partition, energystorage means independent of and in addition to said grid-walls, saidmeans being carried by said grid structure and adapted to apply force tosaid grid walls to move same relative to one another, and mechanismnormally preventing the force of said energy storage means frdm movingsaid grid walls,

7 and said mechanism being movable to release said energy storage meansand permit same to apply its force to said grid walls and move the wallsrelative to one another.

a 3. A grid structure for disposition in an ice tray and removabletherefrom as a unit comprising, a plurality of substantiallynon-flexible walls movably connected together to provide a longitudinalpartition, a plurality of spaced apart walls associated with the wallsof said partition and extending transversely thereto to form rows 'ofice block compartments on each side of said longitudinal partition,energy storage means independent of and inaddition to said grid walls,

said means being carried by said grid structure and adapted to applyforce to said grid walls to move same relative to one another, andmechanism normally preventing the force of said energy storage meansfrom moving said grid walls, said mechanism being movable to releasesaid energy storage means and permit sameto apply its force'to said gridwalls and move the walls relative to one another, and said connectionbetween said grid walls being so constructed and. arranged that movementof the grid walls relative to one another by said means causes bowing ofsaid grid structure.

4. A grid structure for disposition in an ice tray and removabletherefrom as a unit comprisplurality of spaced apart walls associatedwith the walls of said partition and extending transvers'ely thereto toform rows of ice block compartments on each side of said longitudinalpartition, a spring stretched across the top of said longitudinalpartition and having its ends secured to the opposite end walls of saidgrid structure, and a mechanism-norma1ly disposed in the same horizontalplane with said spring and forming a rigid connection between saidopposite end walls to prevent the tension of said spring from movingsaid movable grid walls, and said mechanism being movable out of thehorizontal plane of said spring to permit the tension thereof toapplyforce to said grid walls and walls of said partition and extendingtransversely thereto to form rows of ice block compartments on each sideof said longitudinal partition, a spring stretched across the top'ofsaid longitudinal partition and having its end secured to the oppositeend walls of said grid structure, and amechanism normally disposed inthe same horizontal plane with said spring-and forming a rigidconnection between said opposite end walls to prevent the tension ofsaid spring from moving said movable grid walls, saidmechanism beingmovable out of the horizontal plane of said spring to permit the tensionthereof to apply force to said grid walls and move the walls relative toone another, and said connection between said grid walls being soconstructed and arranged that movement of the grid walls relative to oneanother by said spring causes bowing of said grid structure.

6. A grid structure for disposition in an ice tray and removabletherefrom as a unit comprising, a plurality of rigid metal wallspivotally connected together adjacent their upper ends to provide asectional longitudinal partition, a plurality of rigid metal wallsinterlocked between the walls of said longitudinal partitionsubstantially at the point of connection therebetween and extendingtransversely thereto to form rows of ice block compartments on each sidethereof, energy storage means carried by said grid structure and adaptedto apply force to the end walls of said longitudinal partition to movesaid'grid walls about their pivotal connection, and mechanism normallypreventing the force of said energy storage means from moving saidpivotally vtray and removable therefrom as a unit comprising, aplurality of rigid metal walls pivotally connected together adjacenttheir upper ends to provide a. sectional longitudinal partition, 9,plurality of rigid metal walls interlocked between the walls of saidlongitudinal partition substantially at the point of connectiontherebetween and extending transversely thereto to form rows of iceblock compartments on each side thereof,

energy storagemeans carried by said grid structure and adapted to applyforce to-the ends walls of said longitudinal partition to move said gridwalls about their pivotal connection, and mechanism normally preventingthe force of said energy storage means from moving said pivotallyconnected -grid walls, said mechanism being movable to release saidenergy storage means and permit same to apply its force to said gridwalls and move the walls relative to one another, and said pivotalconnection between said grid walls being so arranged-that movement ofthe :grid walls relative to one another by said means causes bowing ofsaid grid-structure and movement of said transverse walls.

8. A grid structure for disposition in an ice tray and removabletherefrom. as a unit comprising, a plurality of rigid metal wallspivotally connected together adjacent their upper ends to provide asectional longitudinal partition, a plurality of rigid metal wallsinterlockedbetween to the disposition of the walls of said longitudinalpartition to provide said ice block compartments with a parallelogramform in vone direction of cross section therethrough, energy storagemeans carried by said grid structure and adapted to apply force to theend walls of said longitudinal partition to move the walls thereof abouttheir pivotal connection, and mechanism normally preventing the force ofsaid energy storage means from moving said walls of said partition, andsaid mechanism being movable to release said energy storage means andpermit same to apply its force to said walls of said partition and movethe walls relative to one another.

9. A grid structure for disposition in an ice tray and removabletherefrom as a unit comprising, a plurality of rigid metal wallspivotally con nected together adjacent their upper ends to provide asectional longitudinal partition, a plurality of rigid metal wallsinterlocked between the walls of said longitudinal partition andextending transversely thereto toform rows of ice block compartments oneach side thereof, said transverse grid walls being inclined withrespect to the disposition of the walls, of said longitudinal partitionto provide said ice block compartments with a-parallelogram form in onedirection of cross section therethrough, energy storage means carried bysaid grid structure and adapted to apply .force to the end walls of saidlongitudinal partition to move the walls thereof about their pivotalconnection, and mechanism normallypreventing the force of said energystorage means from moving said walls of said partition, said mechanismbeing movable to release said energy storage means and permit same toapply its force to said walls of said partition and move the wallsrelative to one. another. and said pivotal connection between the wallsof said partition being so arranged that movement of said walls relativeto one another by said means bows said grid structure and causesmovement of said transverse walls out of their normal inclined positionto enlarge said parallelogram shaped compartments.

10. A grid structure for disposition in an ice tray and removabletherefrom as a unit comprising, a plurality of members movably connectedtogether to form a sectional longitudinal partition and a plurality ofspaced apart members extending laterally therefrom and cooperatingtherewith to provide walls of a plurality of ice block compartments, andmechanism carried'by said grid structure and including energy storingmeans, said mechanism also including a plurality of parts forming withsaid energy storing means a toggle connection for permitting movement ofsaid means into either of two positions,

- the parts of said mechanism when in one position relative to oneanother rendering said toggle connection eii'ective for preventing saidenergy storing means from moving said grid members,

.and the parts of said mechanism being movable JAMES W. JACOBS.

